Where There Shines No Light
by AJsHellCat
Summary: Part 3 in my series: strange, unexplained flashes cause Christine confront something horiffic...


AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this chapter is pretty lighthearted, but it'll live up the genre it's in as the chapters go on.  
  
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Christine stretched in a feline-like manner as she woke up. Life couldn't be any better, she decided. After all, she had just had a beautiful baby girl with the man, well, Hobbit that she loved. Smiling, she glanced over at said Hobbit, who was still asleep. His curly, brown hair was strewn about his pillow as though he'd been tossing and turning all night.  
  
Christine smirked. She knew better, though. The two lovers had spent a very passionate night in each other's arms. Her mother had always joked about how you never could get away with making love once you had a baby in the house because they would always wake up in the middle of the night. But, they had been lucky. Their daughter enjoyed sleeping at night and never seemed to wake up at odd hours. Well, she had a couple of times but that had been because parties had been going on because of their return to the Shire after their visit to Mirkwood.  
  
Just then, her Hobbit yawned and awakened.  
  
"Good morning, my dear Frodo."  
  
Frodo gave her a sleepy smile. "Good morning, my love."  
  
"Did you sleep well?" She asked.  
  
Frodo grinned mischievously at her. "From what sleep I had, yes."  
  
Christine chuckled then kissed him softly. A moment later the soft cooing sounds of their daughter, Sarah could be heard from the nursery.  
  
"Baby's up." She announced. And with that, she swung her long legs over the bedside and proceeded to Sarah's room.  
  
"Good morning, sunshine." Christine cooed.  
  
Upon seeing her mother, Sarah gurgled and held out her arms, indicating that she wanted to be picked up. Christine carefully lifted her daughter out of her crib and carried her into the kitchen.  
  
Warm sunlight poured into the room through the open windows. It was the beginning of summer in Hobbiton and it promised to be the hottest yet. In fact, the last few days had been so hot the Hobbits refused to go out for fear that they'd faint under the sun. But with hot weather always came lots of rain, which made up for it.  
  
With newfound precision, Christine managed to balance Sarah on her hip while she made breakfast.  
  
"I think you are getting the hang of being a mother." Frodo announced, entering the kitchen.  
  
Christine chuckled. "I like to think so. I'm getting better at the balancing act at least." She said, gesturing at Sarah and the frying pan her hand, which currently had bacon in it.  
  
Frodo looked out the window for a moment. "It looks like it'll be another hot day."  
  
"Yeah, but it'll give Sam a nice tan."  
  
Frodo laughed at the mention of his best friend. Sam, ever loyal, still tended Frodo's garden even though Frodo had freed him of the job. Even now, Frodo could see Sam on the porch of his house gathering his tools. Rosie, his wife, admired his loyalty to Frodo but still wished he would spend a bit more time at home. But, Frodo knew there would be no convincing Sam of that. It seemed his loyalty to his former master was unbreakable.  
  
It touched Frodo's heart to know that he would always have a loyal friend in that dear Hobbit.  
  
"He might turn completely black at the rate he has been working so far."  
  
It was Christine's turn to laugh. "Now that would be a funny sight."  
  
Frodo joined in on her laughter and so did Sarah, who apparently picked up on the happy moment. By Valar, his wife and his daughter were wonderful gifts, Frodo thought merrily. The two of them always made him smile, no matter how angry or sad he might be feeling. They were he guessed you could say, his salvation. And the best part was he knew they loved him just as much.  
  
Frodo watched Christine expertly flip pancakes over with by just flicking the frying pan every so slightly in the air. It was one of her home foods that she had introduced to him and had got him hooked on. And still, she did this with the baby on her hip. It was almost as though she had been born to do it.  
  
Just then, Frodo noticed Sam approaching the house. "Good morning, Mr. Frodo!" he sniffed the air.  
  
"Smells mighty good in there, if I do say so myself."  
  
"Thank you, Sam." Christine said, smiling at him before she plated the first batch of pancakes.  
  
"You're welcome to join us, if you like." Frodo offered. Sam's eyes glittered with delight. He was also hooked on her pancakes.  
  
"Thank you ever so!"  
  
Moment's later; Frodo let him his friend and they all sat down to eat.  
  
Christine tried not to laugh as Sam and Frodo rolled their eyes in ecstasy while they devoured the food. Hobbits were shameless creatures she had learned. It was something that would never fail to amuse her.  
  
Once they were done, they both let out hearty burps.  
  
"Oh my God! Do you think you two could be more disgusting?" she teased.  
  
Sam and Frodo laughed. "Probably." Sam said, grinning.  
  
Christine just rolled her eyes at the two of them and cleared the plates from the table.  
  
"It seems that no matter what part of whatever world one is in, the male species will always have bad table manners."  
  
Grinning at them, she set the teakettle that had a fresh batch of tea in it on the table in front of them.  
  
"Such sass!" Sam said, pouring himself and Frodo some tea.  
  
"That's one reason why I love her." Frodo said, giving his wife a loving smile.  
  
Christine walked around the table and placed a soft kiss on her husband's mouth. "Thank you." She said softly and kissed him once again before tending to the task of washing the breakfast dishes.  
  
"Ah, the joys of wedded bliss." Sam said, and sighed happily. Frodo nodded. "It's wonderful, Sam. It's wonderful." 


End file.
